Molding apparatus



Jan. 27, 1959 R. J. HINES MOLDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 16, 1956 INVENTOR.

Russzu. J Hines BY United tates Patent filice 2,870,500 MOLDING APPARATUS .Russell J. Hines, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor toThe Hines Flask Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio v Application November 16, 1956,-Serial No. 622,607

6 Claims. (Cl. 22110) tion. ln'some cases, the drag element comprises a hol- .low box-like member, while in others, it may comprise a pattern plate. In either case, it is desirable to establish and maintain constant alignment between the individual elements during the mold making operation.

One of the more common means used for aligning flask elements includes a flask guide'pin adapted for insertion through vertically aligned apertures in guide lugs disposed on at least two opposite sides of-the flask elements. ".One type of guide pin heretofore used, contained a transverse slot formed in the upper portion of the pin 'whiehextended out the top end thereof thus forming arms or segments which imparted a resilienteharacteristie to the-pin when it was inserted in position in the guide lugs of the flask elements. However,'with this construction the resiliency of the arms .is substantially uncon- "trolled in that the arms have a tendency to spring apart excessively thus rendering it diflicult, if not impossible to 'insert'the guide pin into the guide'lug of a coacting flask or flask element. In addition, even if it were possible to insert the pin into the flask guide lug, the arms would have a tendency to spring out even more excessively when the pin became heated due to the heat of the casting during the molding operation, with the result that the arms would create excessive friction between the pin and the wall of the aperture in the flask guide lug thereby rendering it extremely diflicult if not impossible to subsequently separate the flask elements.

It is'an object of the present-invention to provide an improved arrangement for establishing and maintaining alignment between elementsof a separable foundry flask during the assembly, molding and disassembly operations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an alignment means for a separable foundry flask which will maintain a snug fit at all times, which does not require adjustment and which will automatically take up the wear between the respective complementary alignment means.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an alignment means for foundry flask elements including a slotted flask guide pin in which the resiliency of the slot arms therein is substantially controlled.

Briefly, the foregoing objects are accomplished by providing a slotted flask guide pin which is preferably mounted in a solid center at each end of a separable element of a foundry flask and which is adapted to cooperate with a guide bushing mounted in a guide lug at each end of a coacting separable element. Each slot is formed transversely entirely through the pin and, the

ninety degree angle.

Fatented Jan. 27,, .1959

'2. preferred form, the ;pin contains two intersectingslots diametrically opposed to each other at substantially a Each slot may extendlongitudinally in the-pin from a point'in the lower portion of the pin to a point adjacent the top of the pin. With this construction, the resilient arms formed by the slots areprevented from springing out excessively since the arms are not free at either end, yet the outward resiliency of the arms is more than suflicient to hold the flask elements together and prevent them from shifting underall conditions of :molding and additionally permitseparation of the elements in a facile and expeditious ,manner when a desired.

Other objects andadvantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following description-taken ;in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. v1 is a vertical sectional 'viewof a portion of a foundry flask embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional v'iew of a portion .of a .foundry flask elementand *a coacting pattern plate em- ;bo.dying :the present invention;

'Fig. 3 is a side ,elevational .Vieweftheflaskguide pin constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a horizontalsectional:view taken along the line 4-4 of 'Fig. '3; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 .of Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. '1 there is shown 'a foundry flask comprising a cope element i1 mounted'on a drag element 2 in preparation for the mold making operation. The .cope element 1:is preferably provided with 'a'latera'lly mounted on the drag element in preparation for "the mold making operation, the apertures'are in substantial vertical alignment so as to receive the guide pin 10 therethrough. The aperture 7 may contain the bushing 11, which in turn, may contain the pin 10.

The guide pin or member 10 is a solid, elongated pin having a diameter slightly less't'nan the inner diameter of the bushing 11 and the aperture '8 and contains at least one slot 14 (Fig. 3), which is formedtransversely entirely through the'pin. In the preferred form, the pin contains two intersecting slots 14 and 16 (Fig. 4) diametrically opposed to each other at substantially a ninety degree angle as shown. Preferably, each slot extends longitudinally in the pin from a point in thelower portion of the pin to a point near the top of thepin as shown in Fig. 3. The intersecting slots from resilient arms or members 17, 18, 19 and 20(Fig. 4), which resiliently engage the inner wall of the bushing :11 with a snug fit. The bottom of. each slot tapers downwardly .and outwardly to form the inclined planes 22 and 23 frictional engagement with the bushing 11 and to compensate for any wear therebetween.

In the assembly of the flask elements 1 and 2 as shown in Fig. 1, the pin 10 is first inserted into the aperture 8 in the guide lug 5 and the threaded stud 12 is inserted through the aperture 9 in the lower guide lug 6, after which the pin may be secured in position by the lock nut 13 which is threaded on the stud. The separate cope element ll may carry a bushing 11 in the aperture 7 of the guide lug 4. Each bushing 11 may have a shoulder 26 which abuts one side of the coacting lug 4 to restrict axial movement of the bushing in one direction, while a co-operating lock washer 27 and the nut 28 act on the other side of the lug to restrict axial movement of the bushing in the opposite direction. The cope element 1 with its bushing 11 may then be mounted on the drag element 2 in surmounting relation by sliding the bushing 11 onto the respective slotted pin 11). To facilitate such assembly operation,the head or top end of each pin 16? is tapered in a substantially cone shaped configuration as at 29.

The arms 17, 18, 19 and 20 resulting from the slots 14 and 16 provide inherent spring-like characteristics in the pin 10. Accordingly, when the pin co-operates with the complementary bushing Ill, friction results between the inner wall of the bushing and the pin. This friction is more than sufficient to hold the cope and drag elements in optimum alignment and to take up wear automatically between the pin and the complementary bushing.

Referring now to Fig. 2, wherein like numerals designate like parts, the foundry flask element 1 is shown mounted upon a pattern plate 30, wherein the slotted pin 10 and the complementary bushing 11 co-operate to align the plate and the element in the same manner as set forth in accordance with reference to the flask elements in Fig. 1 as described above.

Among the advantages of the invention is the substantial elimination of defective castings due to the so-called shift" between the separable elements of the flask, the automatic taking up of wear between the complementary aligning elements, the automatic correction of imperfections in the manufacture of pins and bushings of such an arrangement and the greater degree of control of the resiliency of the arms in the pin thereby rendering it easier to maintain the various elements in alignment, and in addition rendering it easier to subsequently separate the elements.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof.

1' claim:

1. A unitary flask guide pin adapted for insertion in apertures formed in guide lugs disposed on flask elements comprising, a single-piece elongated member having means at one end for securing the member to a flask guide lug and having means at its other end for facilitating its entry into the guide lug aperture, said member having a slot formed transversely entirely therethrough and extending longitudinally from substantially adjacent said one end and terminating within said other end, and each end of said member being closed.

2. A flask guide pin constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein the top end of the member is tapered in a generally cone-shaped configuration to facilitate the entry of the same into the aperture in the associated flask guide lug, said slots terminating at their top end within the tapered portion of the top end of the member.

3. A unitary flask guide pin adapted for insertion in vertically aligned apertures formed in guide lugs disposed on flask elements comprising, a one-piece elongated member circular in cross section and having two slots formed transversely completely through the pin and extending longitudinally from a point in the lower portion of the pin to a point directly and immediately adjacent the top end thereof, said slots being formed so as to transversely intersect each other at approximately a right angle, said member including a head having a substantially coneshaped configuration adapted to facilitate insertion of the member into the guide lug apertures, said slots having a downwardly and outwardly formed taper at the lower ends thereof defining downwardly and outwardly directed inclined planes adapted to channel off any excess sand which may enter the slots, said member also having a threaded stud at the lower end thereof adapted for threaded insertion into the aperture of one of the guide lugs to detachably secure the member thereto.

4. In combination with a plurality of separable elements, means for establishing and maintaining the alignment of said elements, said means comprising one piece flask guide pins having at least one slot formed transversely entirely through each pin and extending longitudinally in the pin from a point substantially adjacent one end thereof and terminating within the other end thereof, each end of said pins being closed, apertured guide lugs externally carried at opposite ends of the separable flask elements adapted to receive the said pins in snug fitting relation, and said other end of each guide pin having means for facilitating entry into the apertured guide lugs.

5. In a foundry flask having a mating pair of separable elements adapted to be assembled in surmounting relation, means for establishing and maintaining alignment between said elements including a one-piece guide pin having right angle intersecting slots diametrically opposed to each other, each of said slots extending transversely completely through the pin and extending longitudinally from substantially adjacent one end of the pin and terminating within the other end of the pin, each end of said pin being closed, said means also including vertically aligned guide lugs disposed on the opposite sides of the elements in a manner whereby when the elements are stacked in surmounting relation the guide lugs are aligned vertically, each of said guide lugs having an aperture therein adapted to receive said pin in snug fitting engagement, and said other end of the pin having means for facilitating its entry into the guide lug aperture.

6. The flask guide pin of claim 1, wherein said means for facilitating entry on said other end of the pin includes a generally cone-shaped configuration of said other end and wherein said slot terminates within the conically tapered portion of said other end of the pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 986,223 Schaumleffel Mar. 7, 1911 1,556,368 Sperry Oct. 6, 1925 2,641,033 Hines et al June 9, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,799 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1912 663,837 France Apr. 15, 1929 918,592 Germany Sept. 30, 1954 724,576 Great Britain Feb. 23, 1955 

